


Frost breaths

by Subtle_Shenanigans



Series: Confused Chicken and Ashen Feathers [11]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Best Friends, Fever, Fluff, Gen, Platonic Relationships, Shapeshifters - Freeform, Sick Fic, avian shapeshifters, do not repost to another site, ill, no beta we die like men, sick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:53:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23549467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Subtle_Shenanigans/pseuds/Subtle_Shenanigans
Summary: Warm, too warm.
Relationships: Zero & Jake
Series: Confused Chicken and Ashen Feathers [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1114257
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	Frost breaths

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been having a fever for about over three weeks now - not too high. But my insomnia has been horrible for about six of those days now. And I was tested for Covid on Monday and it was negative, so that's good. They don't know what I have though.
> 
> I’m okay! Just really fatigued. 
> 
> So here’s a semi-vent? And some fluff.
> 
> Stay safe everyone!!! And hope everything is going okay!!

Jake is worried.

Zero stirs, breath frosted when she sighs. Her eyes are too bright when they flash open, but they shut as she falls back into sleep once again.

He hears the soft hush as the snow falls, building up inch by inch. They're holed up in another barn, empty (and who knew there were so many empty old barns in America?), and Zero had complained about being tired, and now it had been a week of timid sleep, and exhaustion. Sitting up took all her energy and left her shaky and fatigued.

And she was warm. Too warm.

Not enough for her eyes to glaze with high fever, but enough to contrast the cold air. Enough that Jake needed to scoot away at night.

Enough that they had been stuck here a week, and it was getting harder to hunt as winter wore on.

(Zero would be so mad if he stole from the nearest town, but he needed too. They carried little as it was and, maybe, he could use what little money there was to buy more acetaminophen?

She stirs slightly, mumbling in her sleep. Uncomfortable. 

She wasn't severely sick, but she _was_ sick. Sick enough to need rest and recovery.

(Times like this reminded Jake why being cut off from civilization was so hard.

It's not like they could just up and get jobs. Young as they were, there would be questions of parents and -)

"Jake?"

It's thick with tiredness, but alert enough that she knew he was awake. She reached and grabbed his arm (much too warm). "Breathe. It'll be okay."

He feels himself bristle with currently non-existent feathers. "You're sick! Of course I'm worried!"

Zero rolls her eyes. "With a little virus or something. I promise, if I start feeling worse we'll go to a hospital. Figure it out from there." Squeezes his arm once more and then drops her hand, "Okay?'

"Fine."

"Your pinions are flaring."

He chirred on mock irritation. Shifted into a snowy owl and puffed up fiercely. Zero laughed at that.

Once the feathered form is gone, he puts the bottom of his palm on her forehead. She's a little warmer, but not dangerously so. "How are you feeling."

A huff. "Like crap."

"You know what I mean."

A pause. She shifts. "Hot, more like flushed? Just, really warm. And then it's too cold. And then it's hot again and I'm really tired, and my head starts to pound. But I also feel like I could get up and do something? Like I should." She grimaces, leaning further back. "I hate being inactive like this."

Jake sighs. "I know; just. . . rest up, okay? You should get better soon, if it's really just a little bug."

". . . yeah."

They fall back into silence, more pronounced as the snow stops.


End file.
